Travel Diary: 36 Hours in Chicago

A few weeks back, I decided I really, really needed to get away. It didn't matter where, it didn't have to be a super long trip, I just needed something to look forward to. This past weekend was a long weekend in Canada, and it was the perfect opportunity to plan a trip.

Tod and I have discussed doing an epic pizza road trip, starting in NYC, off to Chicago and St Louis -- while we didn't have quite enough time for that (please leave all other pizza recommendations below!), we did want to check out Chicago for the incredible food scene.

First, a little insight -- my past two travel videos (here and here) have been planned to death -- I actively storyboarded each measure of music, endlessly deliberated the type of shots I wanted to capture, and sketched out a final shot list before I left. While there's room for improvement, I've been proud of both those videos -- they're such great souvenirs to take away from each experience!

For this video, I initially wanted to do a more traditional vlog where I actually talk to the camera -- that lasted about five seconds before I realized how bitterly uninteresting I am when I drive. It would have ended up being a silent film with the a random roadkill comment (we saw at least 12 deer on the side of the road -- don't even get us started on squirrels).

Chicago was an amazing time -- I didn't do any beauty shopping (someone call a doctor), but I did eat my weight in carbohydrates. That's almost the same thing in my books!

Also, I got my first flat tire EVER. Not sure why I find that incredibly exciting, but it makes me feel like a grown up.